Sciatica Symptoms
Low back pain, stretching pain at the back of the leg, hip pain that radiates to lower part of the leg are some of the Sciatica symptoms. The symptoms of sciatica are many. Multiple sciatica symptoms or a single can be observed with a sciatica patient. According to Ayurveda sciatica is narrated as Gridhrasi. Gridhrasi means ” walking like a vulture”. Normally sciatica affects either of the legs. So the sciatica patient has to walk in limping mode. This walk imitates the walk of the vulture, the “Gridhra”. So sciatica is called Gridhrasi in Ayurveda.
Other than this there are numbers of symptoms of sciatica.
Sciatica symptoms
Low Back Pain: Low back pain is one of the frequent Sciatica symptoms. It aggravates on prolonged standing or sitting. Low back ache is observed when sciatica comes as a complication of prolapsed intervertebral disc (PIVD).
Hip Pain: The complain of hip pain takes place when there is a spine compression or the sciatic nerve is compressed at the sciatic notch. The pain is constant and is observed at one side of the buttock. It aggravates on exposure to extreme cold. Also mountain trekking or climbing steps are some of the trigger factors of sciatica.
Radiating Pain: The pain that occurs at the low back or the buttock radiates to the back of the thigh and the lower leg through the course of the sciatic nerve. The pain may subside when patient lie on a flat bed.
Different Types of Pain: The nature of the pain vary from person to person. It may be shooting/ stretching/ cramping/ pricking/ throbbing type.
Weakness: Weakness in the leg may be observed. It prevents free movement of the leg. Sometimes it create a disability in the activity of the affected leg.
Burning sensation: Burning sensation takes place when any root of the sciatica nerve is compressed. Because compression of sciatica nerve gives rise to secretion of a chemical.
Numbness: This sciatica symptom takes place in advanced stage of PIVD or sciatica.
Sciatic Nerve is the composed bundle of five nerve roots. Two nerves from lumbar spines L4 and L5 and Sacrom S1, S2 and S3 make a bundle to form sciatic nerve. When any of the sciatic nerve root is compressed, that gives rise to symptoms of sciatica. The sciatica symptoms are different for “nerve root compression” at different level.
Sciatica from L4 Nerve root Compression: 
Weakness during straightening the leg.
Knee jerk reflex is diminished.
Sciatica from L5 Nerve root Compression:
Pain radiates upto ankle joint or Big toe.
Pain or numbness at the upper side of the foot mostly in between the big toe and the next finger.
Sciatica from S1 Nerve root Compression:
Pain and numbness at the outer side of foot.
Little toe or toes are affected.
Ankle jerk reflex is reduced.
Difficult to raise the heel or stand on the tip of the toes.
When more than one nerve root is compressed mixed sciatica symptoms are observed.
Written by : Dr A P Nayak
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